This application claims the priority of German Patent Application Document 100 56 754.1, filed Nov. 16, 2000, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a wind deflector for a sliding roof opening of a motor vehicle.
A wind deflector for sliding roof openings of a motor vehicle is known from German Patent DE 40 12 569 C1. When the sliding roof is open, the wind deflector section projects above the front roof cutout edge so that the air flow moving across the roof""s surface is deflected by the raised wind deflector profile. Appropriately constructed air inlet and air outlet ports, distributed over the breadth of the wind deflector section, create turbulence behind the wind deflector profile, preventing undesirable low frequency vibrations such as, for example, the so-called whumping.
However, if sliding roof openings of motor vehicles are designed for larger surface areas, the measures for suppressing whumping, as represented in German Patent DE 40 12 569 C1, may not be sufficient. Moreover, the arriving air flow may not be whirled up strongly enough in order to suppress whumping in motor vehicles that have large interior volumes, as e.g. combination motor vehicles.
Consequently, the present invention provides an improved wind deflector, which keeps the interior of the vehicle free from drafts and whumping sounds can be suppressed even for large interior volumes of vehicles and large-surface sliding roof openings.
The partial flows, entering through the air inlet ports on a face side of the wind deflector profile, are redirected inside the hollow section and exit through the air outlet ports, which perforate the upper boundary wall, at a rather high rate of speed and almost perpendicular in relation to the main flow. This causes turbulence to form above the wind deflector profile allowing for selective influencing of flow across the roof in the area of the sliding roof opening.
Due to the low pressure that is in effect above the air outlet ports, air is also sucked out of the vehicle interior through the hollow section that is open on its bottom side.
The turbulence can be modified by equipping the wind deflector profile along its profile extension in the crosswise direction of the vehicle with elevations and recesses, so-called turbulence notches. Using an appropriate combination, the height of the wind deflector can be reduced so that less structural space is required.
A central arrangement of the air inlet ports between the roof cutout edge and the upper boundary wall of the wind deflector profile allows for the optimal use of dynamic pressure.
In a preferred embodiment, the air inlet ports are distributed on the front face wall of the wind deflector profile.
Depending on the type of roof or sliding roof opening, it can also be advantageous to close the hollow section that is open on its bottom side with a closing plate.
In accordance with the pressure conditions, it is also possible to envision air inlet ports on the rear face side of the wind deflector profile.
If air outlet ports are arranged on the highest points in the area of the elevations of the wind deflector profile, the main flow that moves over the wind deflector profile can be deflected upward to an amplified degree, thereby allowing the bridging of especially large-surface sliding roof openings.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.